| Media |

| Messages |

Did you happen to miss a Sunday? No worries. Check out any of our messages right here. You can also subscribe to our podcast by clicking on the microphone in the bottom right corner of the media player.

Enable javascript to use sermon-player, or use the subscribe-podcast links below.

By:

Series:

WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle

Sorry, there are no sermons available for this playlist.

| Wednesday Weekly Blog |

Have you thought about what God would like to happen in your life in 2016?

I am not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions. The main reason is that most of the time we make a resolution based on how we’re feeling at the end of the year and statistics tell us that most people break their New Year’s Resolutions before the end of January. So I’m not talking about a New Year’s Resolution.

I am talking about what God would like to do this year, together with you, that will improve your life. This isn’t an improvement that involves our determination or our “gutting it out” or even a list of things that we are going to do to make life better. What I’m speaking about this morning is trusting God for what He wants to do in your life in the days, weeks and even the years ahead.

Very quickly look at Ephesians 3:14-20. I’m not going to write out all seven verses, but I’d encourage you to stop and read it before you proceed. I want to simply highlight a few of the things that Paul writes.

He says, “I pray that out of his [Christ’s] glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” The he says, “I pray that you . . . may have power . . . to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ . . . that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Then the 20th verse says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us . . .”

I believe that God wants to do some things in you and me in 2016 that will make 2016 the best year we have ever had. DISCLAIMER: I am NOT saying that we won’t have trouble or heartache or difficulties or pain this year, but I STILL believe this can be the best year we have ever had. Look at what Paul prayed for us.

That we would be “strengthened with power through His Spirit in our inner beings.” I believe that the inner being is where all of this starts. You see, this isn’t a place that we can work on or work out and make stronger – this is a place where God has to work and I believe He wants to do it in me and in you. This isn’t the “power of positive thinking” or an optimist’s outlook I’m talking about – this is what ONLY God can do. He prayed that we would have “power to grasp the incredible love of Christ SO THAT we could be FILLED to the measure of ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD.” I don’t know about you, but I would love to have ALL of the fullness of God in my life. If you will stop and think about that, that is an amazing thing! And finally Paul said that God is ABLE to do this – in fact, He is able to do so much more than we could even imagine. We talked a little bit about this earlier this year, but I want to challenge you to grab onto this for the coming New Year.

I believe this is going to be a year like no other . . . and I want you to know that I don’t think all of that is necessarily good. Our world is hurting; we are seeing hatred displayed everywhere both in our nation and around the world, in ways that we have never seen before. I know that we have an enemy, satan, who is taking advantage of the fear, the hurt and the hatred that humankind is living in and multiplying it exponentially. But IN SPITE of that, I believe that God has something for you and for me that encompasses Ephesians 3:14-20.

I pray that you and I will trust Him, depend upon Him and love Him with more fever and passion than we ever have before.

Sunday January 3 – This coming Sunday we are coming together to celebrate what God wants to do in us. We are going to enjoy the fruit of the Joy of the Lord on that morning. It will be a great time for the body of Christ at Angus to come together and worship! We will have both worship services, 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. and our Hispanic Congregation will meet at 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday January 6 – Our teens and adults will come together at 6:30 to worship and then pray together. This has become a highlight of each month’s Wednesday evening activities. We encourage you to make a special effort to be here. It all begins with dinner in the gym at 5:00

I’d like to ask you to read the story below. I’ve borrowed it from Breakpoint Daily, which is an email that I receive 5 times a week from The Colson Center.

Friends, we’re coming to the close of a dark year. We’ve witnessed the brutality and barbarism of ISIS overseas and watched violent clashes between police and protesters in the Heartland. All around we see death, anger, and despair. I’m sure you’ll agree there is much about the human condition we wish weren’t true.

Yet as we approach Christmas, we’re reminded once again that the darkness gathering around us does not have the final word. John the Apostle opens his Gospel with timeless words of hope regarding the Word of God: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

In Tarrant, Alabama, the beautiful light of hope shined into one woman’s family. Let me tell you their story.

As reported at AL.com, Helen Johnson stood in the store aisle in despair. She and her two daughters, a niece and two grandchildren, had not eaten for two days and now she was 50 cents short for the dozen eggs she was hoping to buy. Out of options and hope, Helen stuffed five of the eggs in her pocket and tried to walk out. Fortunately, as it turns out, they broke. “I’m not a good thief at all,” she said.

When confronted by store employees, she admitted her crime and waited for police. Yet, when Officer William Stacy got there, the story didn’t go as she expected. Instead of escorting her to the back of his squad car, Officer Stacy bought the dozen eggs for her and let her know the store was not pressing charges. When asked how she could repay him, Stacy told her not to shoplift again.

When I heard about this, I kept thinking about the touching scene in Les Miserables where Bishop Myriel presses the silver candlesticks into the criminal Jean Valjean’s hands. Your life has been spared for God, he told him. Kindness, rather than retribution, and mercy instead of justice, is what makes these stories great.

But Helen Johnson’s story did not end there. A man filmed the incident at the store and posted it online. The video went viral and offers of help began pouring in. Three days later, police officers were helping Mrs. Johnson sign up for a toy drive and the following day, officers returned with two truckloads of food. For a family with virtually nothing, a stocked pantry was unbelievable. “My heart is wide open right now,” she said.

The small acts of kindness by the store’s management and Officer Stacy sparked a wave of compassion and charity.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” This, as much as any other, is the message that gives us hope at Christmas.

I KNOW the news of this year has been horrible, terrifying, heartbreaking and at times hopeless. But on this 23rd day of December, 2015, I want to remind you that of all people in this world, WE HAVE HOPE! I cannot predict or stop what ISIS is going to do; I have no control over terrorism either inside or outside of this nation; I have so very little control over health issues or weather or accidents or so much more . . . But I have a God who loves me, who gave His Son to be my Savior and your Savior and I have HOPE in The ONE who will have the final say.

You can too. If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you can. It is as simply as confessing your sin, receiving His forgiveness and walking with Him in newness of life. If you need help please talk to someone, please feel free to call me 575 937-4929, or come see me and I’ll be more than happy to show you how to know this.

If you are consumed by fear, I want to challenge you to learn to trust God NO MATTER the circumstances or what is happening in the world. He will give you a peace that goes beyond all of your understanding or knowledge (Philippians 4:7). It is real and it is available.

Most of us have no idea whatsoever what it’s like to be 50 cents short of providing food for our children, but Jesus does. He came to serve the “least of these” as we have seen in this Advent season with the shepherds being the first people in the world to get the news of Messiah’s birth. Remember, the shepherds were among those who were the lowest class of people in Israel and yet, God sent an angel specifically to them first.

If you are in need of food please let us know here and we will do everything we can to get food for you or to help you in any way that we can. We can’t do everything, but we promise we will do whatever we can.

Thursday December 24 – We will have a very special Christmas Eve service at 6:00 p.m. We would love to have you and your family join with us for this celebration!

Sunday December 27 – We will have one combined worship service on Sunday December 27 at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. We are going to enjoy the fruit of the Joy of the Lord on that morning. It will be a great time for the body of Christ at Angus to come together and worship together!

The following is taken from a book by Max Lucado, God Came Near, and is entitled “Absurdity In the Flesh.”

“He looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

“Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

“She touches the face of the infant-God. ‘How long was your journey?’

“This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.

“Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

“Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.

“Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?”

What am I looking for today? That question has come up more than once this morning. What are you looking for today? Well, I just want to tell me and tell you that God is here! He is Immanuel, God with us! He comes into our lives at every single place (yes, in the filth, in the manure, in the mundane, at every single place) and too often I miss it because I’m simply looking at what is going on instead of Who is here. He is here: God is here: Immanuel is here: the Son of God has stepped right into the middle of your life and mine today and I don’t want to miss it and I don’t want you to miss it.

I want to challenge you to look for Him everywhere! Please don’t miss Him today because what I know is, He is right here, right in the middle of everythingthat you are going through.

Today, Wednesday December 16 – There are no regular activities tonight at the church or for the next two Wednesdays. The children and teens will be meeting off-campus tonight and we aren’t having dinner or any adult activities here tonight.

Sunday December 20 – We continue in the Advent Season and the celebration of Our Coming Savior. This Sunday morning we are going to be looking at Mary and Joseph! WOW, what I’m seeing and what I want to share with you, well, I can’t hardly wait!

Thursday December 24 – We will have a very special Christmas Eve service at 6:00 p.m. We would love to have you and your family join with us for this celebration!

Sunday December 27 – We will have one combined worship service on Sunday December 27 at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. We are going to enjoy the fruit of the Joy of the Lord on that morning. It will be a great time for the body of Christ at Angus to come together and worship together!

I would like to ask you to please keep my dad in your prayers. Dad fell yesterday morning at the Rehab place he was at and hit his head. They did a CT scan this morning and he is bleeding again into his brain. Tomorrow, Thursday, they will do another surgery to drain the blood off of his brain. Thank you for your prayers!